Cable-stopper



Ari..

UNITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BRIDGE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CABLE-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,403, dated February 23, 18158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM H. BRIDGE, of Boston, Suolk county, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement in the instrument used for grasping the chain cables of ships and retaining the anchor thereby, commonly called the Devils Claw, and that the following de` scription with the accompanying drawings forms a full, clear, and exact specification thereof.

The object and use of my invention is for conveniently and readily disengaging the devils claw from the chain when the anchor or any other weight is hanging thereby.

Figure l, is a top view of the claw, as it appears when clasped or hold of the chain. Fig. 2, a top view as it appears when unclasped or disengaged from t-he chain, and F ig. 3, is a side view of the machine.

My invention is one of great simplicity, and its operation may be readily observed and described as follows:

It will be observed that my machine much resembles a common pair of blacksmiths tongs (and I commonly call them my improved cable tongs) except in form of the prongs or pincers (a, a) which are bent a little under, and are made of the precise form best adapted to take hold of the links of the cable, their size of course being adapted to that of the chain and vessel. On the opposite side of the fulcrum or center (5,) one of the arms or levers (c) is extended back the lengt-h of a foot (more or less) and terminates with the ring (d), through which the claw is lashed to the windlass bits or any convenient object on deck; the other arm, or lever (e) I make somewhat shorter,

'and flattened or tapered at its extremity,

so as to receive the clasp (f) by which it is secured in position ready to be hooked on to the chain and securely retain the anchor. When it is desired to let go the anchor, I take a hammer, handspike, or any convenient object and knock back the clasp (f) from its hold on the arm (e) when the claw immediately opens as shown in Fig. 2 and the chain runs out without obstruction.

In practice I take care to make the arm or lever (e) of just the proper taper and consequent friction, so that t-he clasp may not be liable to be slipped back from accidental causes, while it can be readily knocked back when desired. I am ever aware that the aim and purpose of suddenly releasing the devils claw from its hold on the cable, when strain is on, is not original with ina-many attempts having been made to accomplish it, in a satisfactory manner; in most of them however the difficulty has still been the want of sufficient ease and promptness in disengaging from the chain. One however of more recent construction, (and I believe the subject of a patent) seems to have run into an opposite error, inasmuch as the prongs or pincers of the claw are relieved from their hold on the chain, by striking on the counterbalancing heel or tail of an arm or lever which at its opposite end grasps two pins or studs projecting upward from the upper part of the prongs or pincers and forward of the axis or fulcrum. Now it is plain that this tilting lever being out wholly exposed, face upward, is extremely liable to be hit, stepped upon, or accidentally pressed upon in various ways, which at once springs the machine, and thus the devils claw becomes litt-le more than a very hazardous trap, constantly liable to let the anchor go at times the most inconvenient and unexpected; a liability constantly increasing from the wearing of the studs or pins.

My machine has another advantage in following that convenience and propriet-y of form and construction (almost or quite amounting to a principle) viz. of extending the levers back and applying the power or force at the opposite side of the center or fulcrum to that on which the effect is to be experienced; being that on which all tongs, scissors, and other analogous instruments are constructed.

)Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The cable tongs with the levers, prongs and clasp constructed and arranged substantially as set forth and described.

WILLIAM H. BRIDGE.

Witnesses:

LUTHER BRIGGs, J r., ANDREW B. HOWLAND. 

